Pearl Jam’s Accountant Facing Major Theft Charges

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Did a former executive within the Pearl Jam compound stiff the band out of several hundred thousand dollars? That’s what Seattle police and prosecutors are saying in a 33-count allegation handed down earlier this month.

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, King County prosecutors suggest Rickey Charles Goodrich, once the CFO of Pearl Jam’s management company, stole $380,000 in funds over the four years prior to his dismissal in September 2010. Goodrich, a 54-year-old California resident, has “admitted to owing his former employer hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Documents filed in the case say Goodrich was hired by the Pearl Jam Touring Co. in 2005 as an accountant, joining the band’s management company, Curtis Inc., the following year. When “cash flow issues” arose in 2009, an investigator hired by the band found that Goodrich had allegedly initiated a number of suspicious wire transfers of funds. Unauthorized credit card charges were also among the investigator’s findings.

Now Goodrich, who declined comment, is scheduled to appear in King County Court on June 28 to answer the charges.

From the Pearl Jame camp, Kelly Curtis of Curtis Inc. says team Pearl Jam “are deeply saddened by this situation” and “looking forward to a resolution.” The band is claiming a loss upward of $500,000 as a result of the thefts and investigation costs.